Bond with a Wand
by liz1967
Summary: What happens when the world of MI6 collides with the Magic of Harry Potter
1. Chapter 1

**My first attempt as a crossover. Please let me know if I should continue. Thanks..**

James was on his way to M's office after having been summoned by a rather irritated M earlier in the morning. As he walked around the corner he saw Eve sitting at her desk with a rather perplexed look on her face.

"Morning Eve" he said in cheerful tone as he was about to open M's office door

"I'm not sure you want to go in there" she said hesitantly

"Oh and why is that?"

"She's not alone and she's not happy" replied Eve

"What's that supposed mean?"

"Well the local authorities brought some rather let's just say interesting people to us this morning because they have no clue what to do with them"

"What have they done, and why is this an MI6 problem?"

"They're just a bit eccentric." She replied mysteriously

"Eccentric how?'

"I'll let you find out for yourself" she said as she motioned toward the door

James knocked as he entered the office to see M sitting at her desk with an unamused look on her face, and two people sitting opposite her with similar expressions on their faces. On the desk were what appeared to be two long slender sticks. Eve's description wasn't far off the mark as he approached the three who seemed to be engaged in a staring match with one another. The couple, a man in his mid-60's and a woman who appeared to be around M's age were dressed in clothing one might have seen several decades ago. The woman appeared to be rather slender with sharp pointed features, graying light brown hair piled on top of her head in a nice neat bun, and icy, cold eyes, while the man on the other hand had longish black hair, pasty white skin, and dark brooding eyes and gave the impression that he had a rather unpleasant disposition.

"Good morning M"

"Bond. Thank you for joining us" she said in an unusually polite tone "I would like you to meet our guests" she continued "This is Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape"

"Nice to meet you both" replied James "Pardon my rudeness, but M may I have a word?" he said motioning to the door

"Of course. Please excuse us for a moment won't you?" she said as she picked up the two sticks on her desk and followed James to Eve's office closing the door behind her.

"So what's the deal with the King and Queen of eccentricity sitting in your office?"

"007, this is no time for jokes" snapped M "The local authorities brought these two in this morning for behaving suspiciously"

"Why did they bring them to you, isn't suspicious behavior their department? I mean if that's their criteria for dropping their problems on MI6 every time they don't want to deal with them, we might as well install a turn style outside your office door and charge admission" he said sarcastically

"Bond, do be serious. It wasn't so much their behavior that was suspicious as it was these" she said handing him the sticks.

"What is so suspicious about two sticks?" he asked as he took them from her hand and giving them a once over.

"I think the local authorities are complete morons as they seem to think these two "sticks" are some sort of weapons" she said clearly irritated "I think its total rubbish, but they swear they saw those two shoot some sort of beam or light or some such nonsense at something causing a car to disintegrate before their very eyes"

"You're not serious?" he said trying to conceal a laugh

"Shut up Bond" she snapped "It is our duty to investigate this nonsense and as of this moment this is now our problem so I would appreciate you're full cooperation until this matter is settled is that understood!"

"Yes ma'am" he replied suppressing the sudden urge to salute

"Now we're going to go back in there and try to question these two rather eccentric people without sounding like complete idiots so I would appreciate it if you would try to contain your amusement until we're finished"

"Of course" he said with a alight grin as he followed her back into the office

"Now then Ms. McGonagall, Mr. Snape sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. But it would appear that the local authorities believe for some strange reason that these two rather ornate sticks are weapons. I firmly believe that it is purely the work of someone's overactive imagination, but none the less it is my duty to investigate the allegation all the same"

"Yes of course" replied the woman dryly "I can understand your position. If one of my students came to me with such an allegation I would be obliged to investigate as well"

"More to the point this is really an overreaction by some overzealous young people. What they saw was merely a trick of light" replied the man flatly

"After examining the sticks, I am inclined to agree. We have found them to be harmless unless you intend to poke someone in the eye, so I don't feel in necessary to detain you any longer" said M as James stood silently beside her still holding the sticks

"Thank you" replied the man rising to leave "If we are finished may we have our "Sticks" back so that we may be on our way"

"Yes of course."

As James was about the hand the sticks back he somehow managed to flick one of them just right to send a stream of light shooting out the end which blasted a rather large hole in the wall just above M's desk. James and M just stood there in a state of shock as they looked back and forth between the hole in wall, the sticks and their two guests.

"What the hell was that?" shouted James

"Bond, take those "Sticks" to Q immediately! And you two please take seat. I don't believe you will be going anywhere just yet"


	2. Chapter 2 chapter 2

Chapter 2

"How was that even possible" said Snape under his breath

"I don't know" replied Minerva whose eyes were wide with amazement

"He's a Muggle, isn't he?"  
"The only way to know for sure is to get back to Hogwarts and check the files"

"Good luck with that!" said Snape smugly "I do not believe that that M woman plans on releasing us anytime in the near future."

"Yes. You're probably right. And just how do you plan to explain the wand to them?" she asked coolly

"I wasn't planning to. After all you are the Deputy Headmistress, I believe that would fall under your duties" he said sarcastically.

M was pacing about Eve's office anxiously waiting for Bond to either call or return with some sort of answer regarding the two "Sticks" they had confiscated from Mr. Snape and Ms. McGonagall when Bond appeared with Q in tow.

"Well, what have you found out!" asked M impatiently

"It's all rather extraordinary" exclaimed Q with a look of wonderment on his face

"What is?"

"It would be easier to show you rather than tell you"

"Bond! What is he going on about?"

"He's right in a weird sort of way" replied James

"Would you two stop talking in riddles and come straight to the point!" M demanded clearly unamused

"Well here's the thing, I've examined the sticks and there is no logical reason for them to have done what you said they did, but they do…" said Q sounding rather dumbfounded as he was interrupted by M

"They do What exactly?"

"Like I said, it would be easier to show you rather than to tell you, but we can't do it here in the office. We need to go down to the firing range, and with your permission I would like your guests to come along as I have several questions." Replied Q who could hardly contain his enthusiasm

"Alright then let's get on with it. Eve would you have security escort our guests down to the firing range."

M, Q and James waited as Snape and McGonagall were escorted down to the firing range in the basement.

"May I inquire as to why we have been brought here?" asked Snape in his usual monotone voice

"I believe that some explanations are in order" replied James dryly

"Explanations about what?" asked McGonagall

"When I examined the sticks…"

"Wands" said Snape sharply as he corrected Q "They're called Wands"

"Wands? As in magic wands. The sort used by fictional witches and wizards?" replied James with a look of disbelief etched across his face

"Yes" replied Snape unfazed by Bond's question

"Alright, WANDS. When I examined the "Wands" I found them to be rather benign, just made of wood" said Q as he flicked the wands about with no reaction "But what I want you to see is what happens when Bond holds the wand" said Q with a hint of excitement in his voice.

McGonagall and Snape exchanged nervous glances as Q handed a wand to James.

"In the interest of safety I suggest that we all stand behind the blast wall." Said Q motioning for them to follow him.

James waited until they were all safely behind the wall before taking a deep breath and pointed the wand at the target about 50 meters away. He flicked his wrist slightly and a green bolt of light shot from the end of the wand sending a stream of energy to the other end of the room blowing the target to bits. As it was evident that James had no idea how to sustain or control the beam of light, Snape quickly stepped out from behind the wall and took the wand from James before he could inflict any more damage. Once the wand was securely in Snape's possession the rest of them came out from behind the wall.

"Would anyone care to explain just how the hell that was possible" said James with an extremely perplexed look on his face.

"So much for the harmless stick theory. Would either of you care to explain?" said M sharply as she glanced back and forth between Snape and McGonagall. "And don't tell me it was a trick of light this time, as clearly a trick of light cannot do that!" she said pointing to what used to be a target at the end of the room.

There was a long silence before Minerva began to speak

"There is a perfectly logical explanation for all of this" said Minerva calmly

"Good! Can't wait to hear it" snapped James

**For Prosper the XVIII Just Really,Really Really gald to have you back. If anyone has suggestions on this I would love to hear them, I may not use all of them but I would love to hear them.**


	3. Chapter 3 Chapter 3

**Sorry this took so long. Please forgive me if some of the definitions aren't quite right. I'm not as familiar with Harry Potter as I am with Bond and M. **

James, M returned to M's office with their guests with the intention of getting some straight answers as the events at the firing range had left them more than a little dumbfounded to say the least. All eyes were on Minerva as she paced about for a few moments looking as if she were searching for the right words to explain how James was able to shoot a beam of light out of the "stick" as they called them.

"We're waiting" said James sharply

"Where we come from this is not all that unusual" said Minerva calmly

"And just where is it you said you come from again?" asked M coolly

"We live at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry which is located near the village of Hogsmeade." Said Snape dryly

M began typing the names of both the school and the village into her computer only to find that there was no such place.

"Would you care to try again and this time how about telling me the truth" she said sharply as she glared at Snape

"Minerva, this is pointless. The only way we are going to find out for sure is to take them back with us" grunted Snape

"Take us where?" asked James suspiciously

"Why to Hogwarts of course" said Minerva

"Look Ms. McGonagall"

"Minerva, please call me Minerva"

"Alright, Minerva, I for one have no intention of taking you or letting you, for that matter, take us anywhere until this matter has been sorted out" snapped M

"But it's the only way to know for sure"

"Know what for sure?"

"Whether he is or he isn't"

"Whether he is or isn't what?"

"A wizard" said Snape flatly

"A WHAT!" said M with a look of total disbelief

"We do our very best to find them all, but sometimes one or two slip thru the cracks so to speak" said Minerva sounding slightly frustrated

"Let's just start at the beginning shall we" said Snape "In our world there are four types of people…"

"Only four" interrupted James

"Yes, there are Muggles, who are people who are born with no magical abilities and who live in ignorance of our world, and there are Purebloods who are people with both parents having magical abilities. In some instances there is a third type person called a Half-blood meaning one parent has magical abilities and the other does not and the fourth is a Mudblood which is someone of non-magical parentage and yet still has magical abilities"

"And you think James is one of these four types of people?" said M skeptically

"It is entirely possible, but we won't know for sure until we get back to Hogwarts and check thru the old files in the headmaster's office" replied Minerva

"Let's just say, hypothetically, that I agree to go to this Hogwarts, which by the way does not exist, according to all of our intelligence files. Just how would we get there?" asked M who was having a hard time believing that she was even considering such a ridiculous idea in the first place.

"M may I have a word!" said James emphatically

"James?" said M slightly confused

"M! Now please" said James a bit more forcefully as he motioned toward the door

"Will you excuse us for a minute" said M as she followed James out the door

"James I assume you have a damn good reason for ordering me out of my own office!" snapped M

"I wanted to get you out here to ask you if you have completely lost your mind!" he snapped back

"007 I am completely aware of what I'm doing"

"And just what is that may I ask because from where I'm standing it sounds as if you actually intend to let those people go back to this place that doesn't exist"

"What I intend to do is find out just where this place is and why we don't know anything about it. Look those wands or whatever they call them are clearly some sort of advanced weapon and I feel it would be prudent of us to find out what else they have" she said sounding very determined

"I just hope you know what you're doing" he replied as he opened her office door

"Sorry for the interruption, now where were we? Oh yes how exactly would we get to this Hogwarts?"

"Well we could always…"

"Fly" said James sarcastically

"No don't be ridiculous. It's broad daylight. We would be seen and that would not go over well with the Ministry of Magic" said Snape "No it would be best if we took the train…"

"Except it would take a lot longer" said Minerva "I don't suppose you have a fireplace here?"

"No" replied M sounding rather puzzled

"If its speed you're interested in Minerva than perhaps we should just apparate and get it over with" replied Snape in his usual monotonous tone

"Apparwhat?" said James sounding somewhat alarmed

"Apparate. It means to transport oneself instantly to another destination" replied Minerva in answer to James question "I was trying to avoid that as if it turns out that we are wrong there would be more questions, but I believe it is our only option at this point" she said turning to Severus

"I believe it would be best to go separately in order to avoid the possibility of splinching" said Snape as he rose to stand next to M

"And just what exactly is splinching?" asked M nervously

"It is an injury that can result by careless apparating. As the two of you have never done this, it would be prudent for us to take the necessary precautions to keep you both safe"

"I quite agree Severus. Mr. Bond if you would take my hand please." Said Minerva holding out her hand motioning for James to take hold.

James cast M a distraught look as he did as he was told and much to M's horror, within seconds of Minerva uttering the word apparate the two of them disappeared into thin air.

"Our turn" said Severus turning to the now very pale and trembling M "Take my hand please" he said holding out his hand. M must have had the most terrified look on her face because Snape's usually stoic expression suddenly softened as he moved to put his arm gently around M and said "Don't worry my dear, it will all be over in a matter of seconds"

TO BE CONTINUED...

And Prosper Consider it done on in A not so simple wedding but as always there will be a twist :)


	4. Chapter 4 Chapter 4

**Still trying very hard to get the correct terms. Please forgive me if I occasionally get it wrong. I will do my best. **

When they had finally come to a complete stop M's head was spinning to the point that she thought she would topple over except for the fact that Snape still had a firm grip on her.

"There that wasn't so bad was it?" he asked as he loosened his grip enough to pull back to look at her

"No" she managed to say just before her knees gave way sending her toward the ground

Snape quickly put his arms around her and caught her before she made contact with the floor. He effortlessly picked her up and carried her to the sofa in his office placing her gently on the cushions.

"Why don't you just sit for a moment and get you're bearings" he said as he called for his house elf "How about a nice cup of tea to settle your stomach?"

"That would be nice" replied M weakly as she desperately tried to focus on anything as the room was still spinning a bit. When she was finally able to focus what she saw quite honestly frightened the hell out of her. It was a little tiny creature carrying a tray with tea and biscuits.

"What is that!" she said in a somewhat alarmed tone as she pointed at the elf

"That is my house elf bringing your tea" replied Snape sharply. As soon the words had escaped his lips he regretted using such a sharp tone with her as she clearly didn't understand such things as house elves or magic for that matter.

"Please forgive me. I have forgotten that this is all new to you" he said as apologetically as he could as he sat down beside her and poured the tea.

"Where are Bond and Minerva?" asked M anxiously as she looked around the room

"I can only assume that they apparated to her office. Once you have you're bearings back and have finished you tea I will take you there" he said in his normal flat tone.

"Thank you Mr. Snape, but…"

"Severus please"

"Yes of course Severus. I'm feeling much better now and I would like to join the others if that's alright with you" she said nervously as she stood up.

"Certainly" he replied as he rose and extended his arm to her "Shall we" he said motioning toward the door.

As the two of them made their way up to Minerva's office, M couldn't help but stare at all of the beautiful and yet puzzling things in the castle. It wasn't until Peeves made an appearance with a bucket of water with the intent of dousing Snape that M was truly frightened.

"Peeves! Put that down this instant or I will hex you into next year" shouted Snape as he put a protective arm around M. "Can you not see that we have a guest and she is clearly not amused by your antics!"

Peeves quickly floated closer to get a better look at the very frightened M. "She's a Muggle isn't she?" he said with a wicked grin

"She is and it would be appreciated it you would take your pranks somewhere else!" replied Snape who was clearly unamused

"Very well Professor" replied the ghost as he floated off down the hall searching for his next victim.

"What was that?" asked M in a rather shaky voice as she clung to Snape

"That my dear lady was Peeves. He is our resident poltergeist. He's basically harmless however he does like to cause a bit of chaos now and again"

By the time they had reached Minerva's office M's head was spinning again only this time it was not from apparating, but more from all of the unbelievable things she had seen between Severus' office and this office. She was never so happy to see James than she was when the office door opened.

"M" said James sounding rather alarmed as he saw the petrified look on her face and closed the distance between them and put his arms around her pulling her close. "Are you alright? We were worried when you didn't arrive"

"I'm fine" she replied in a rather shaky voice as she held on to him for dear life. "You wouldn't believe what I have seen" she said sounding a bit bewildered as she looked up at him

"What do you mean?' asked James

"I'm not entirely sure but I think I saw a ghost" she said apprehensively

"Severus, just where did you apparate to?" asked Minerva sounding a bit irritated with him

"My office of course" he replied

"Why your office?'

"Because it occurred to me after you had left, that we had neglected to discuss where we were to meet so I decided to start with my office and work my way through the castle until I found the two of you" he said sarcastically

"And what is this about meeting a ghost? Which one Sir Nicholas or Peeves?" she asked angrily

"We had the misfortune of being accosted by Peeves on the hall on the way here"

"Well had you apparated to my office in the first place this would not have happened" she replied sharply

James and M just looked at each other while listening to the two professor's banter back and forth with each other.

"Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it" said James under his breath with a slight laugh

"James, I'm not sure whether I am in the Land of Oz or in the Twilight Zone, but anything you could do to speed this up would be greatly appreciated at this point" she said in the best no-nonsense tone she could manage

"Right" he said loosening his hold on her slightly "Excuse me, professors, but I believe we are here to look over some records" said James calmly

"Yes. You're absolutely right" said Minerva turning her attention back to James and M

"Professor McGonagall I would be happy to show Miss. M around the grounds while you and Mr. Bond search thru the records if you would like. It may take several hours and I believe that you could do with a bit of fresh air" he said politely as he turned to look at M

"Well…I…" M started to say before James interrupted

"I think it would be a good idea if we were to stay together, at least for the time being. It is standard protocol for her to have a body guard at all times and since I am the only agent available at the moment that would be me and since my presence is required here…"

"Yes. I understand" said Snape almost sounding disappointed

"Thank you" said M under her breath

"Actually Severus I think that is a splendid idea" said Minerva surprisingly cheerful "Why don't you take both of our guests on a tour of the castle and the grounds. I will be able to search the files much more quickly by myself anyway"

"As you wish" he replied dryly

M and James followed Snape to the door

"Would you excuse us for a moment" Said Snape as he stepped back in the office closing the door behind him

"Just what are you up to Minerva?" he asked curiously

"Severus. If I didn't know you better I would say that you are quite smitten with that M woman" replied Minerva rather bluntly

"And just what makes you way that?"

"You chose to apparate to your office knowing full well that I would go to mine and you made it painfully obvious by taking you place next to her that you intended for her to go with you" she said rather matter of fact "So one could assume that you wanted time alone with her"

"I did no such thing. I just felt it would be better…"

"There is no use denying it. She is an attractive woman for a Muggle."

"If your previous statement were true then why did you suggest that I take them both around the castle and the grounds?"

"Because she wouldn't go without him and I don't need him around asking a lot of questions about things that are of no concern of his at the moment" she replied sharply

"So you thought you would just foist them off on me while you play detective?"

"In a manner of speaking." She replied testily

"Unbelievable"

"By the way, did you find out what you wanted to know about her?" she asked curiously

"What makes you think I wanted to know anything about her?"

"I may be old but I'm not a fool Severus. Reading her mind would be rather easy as she has had no formal occlumency training"

"I found out that her name is really Olivia Mansfield not M, and I found out that she has had quite a colorful if not adventurous life. She has suffered a great deal of physical and emotional torture and, strictly speaking she should have died on several occasions but she didn't due largely in part to that Bond person"

"Olivia Mansfield? Why does that name sound familiar?" said Minerva as she paced about the room rubbing her forehead trying to remember.

"I have no idea" replied Snape

TO BE CONTIUNED...


	5. Chapter 5 Chaapter 5

**Sorry this took so long. I got distracted by a Not so Simple Wedding. Hope you enjoy.**

Snape decided to make the best of the situation and began leading James an M on a tour of the grounds starting with the castle. As the made their way down the Grand staircase James and M's eyes were wide with amazement as they kept staring at the portraits on the wall.

"M! Did you see that?" exclaimed James as he pointed to one of the portraits "They all seem to be moving and talking"

"Yes I saw it" she replied sounding a little frightened

When they had reached the bottom of the stairs Snape turned and ushered them toward a very large room with long tables.

"This is the Great Hall. It is where we take our meals" he said sounding as if he was bored out of his mind

Although the room was impressive what was most interesting to James was the fact that the candles appeared to be floating as if they were suspended by a thin thread.

"Mr. Bond, M if you will follow me, although I know that the castle is impressive, I would like to take the opportunity to show you what our students do for recreation" Said Snape dryly

James and M followed Snape out the door and down the hill to what appeared to be some sort of stadium

"What is it?" asked James looking around at the field with three rings suspended high at each end of the field

"This is where our students play quiddich" he replied

James was about to ask what quiddich was when several students went streaming past on of all things brooms

"Are they actually flying on broomsticks?" he asked, his eyes wide with amazement

"Yes"

James could hardly contain his curiosity as he rushed up the stairs to get a better view of the field leaving M and Snape behind

"It would appear that you have lost your escort" said Snape as he offered his arm to M

"Yes it would appear that I have at that" replied M as she took his arm and allowed him to escort her up the stairs

James was completely in awe of what he was witnessing. Students actually flying around on brooms chasing a little tiny gold ball while dodging an even bigger ball that seemed to have a mind of its own. It was all just simply amazing.

"I take it you do not share your friends enthusiasm for sport" said Snape as he motioned for them to sit

"Well no not exactly" replied M as she tried to concentrate on the game

It was quite windy in the stands and Snape quickly noticed that M appeared to be getting cold so he pulled out his wand and was about to cast a warming spell over her when she looked up at him with a horrified expression on her face

"What are you doing!" she shouted as she stood up and began to back away

"I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you. I simply noticed that you were cold. I was merely going to cast a warming spell to keep you warm as you clearly are not suitably dressed to be out in this rather cool climate" he said calmly as he lowered his wand

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overreact. That was very kind of you" she replied as her teeth began to chatter

"I think we should get you back up to the castle before you catch cold" he said rising to join her

"Of course" she replied as she began walking toward James who was still mesmerized by the game.

"James I think it's time that we return to the castle" said M "James….JAMES" she finally said sharply

"Sorry M…What did you say. It's just that this is so bloody fascinating to watch" he said doing his best to keep one eye on her and one eye on the game

"I said I think we should be getting back to the castle" she repeated clearly irritated at being all but ignored

"I have an idea" said James leaning down so he could whisper in her ear "Why don't you go with the professor and see what you can find out from him and I will join you later"

"James, have you lost your mind? You're supposed to be acting as my body guard!" she snapped

"M after spending a little time with these people, I really don't think they have any intention of harming us. You are clearly cold and I want to know just what makes those brooms fly. I just thought that we could kill two birds with one stone so to speak, besides Professor grumpy over there clearly has taken a liking to you so I don't think it would take much for you to find out what else those wands can do" he said with a mischievous grin

"This is quite possibly the stupidest idea I have ever heard "she retorted clearly not amused with his reasoning "You want to send me off by myself with a complete stranger that we know for a fact has the ability to whisk me away any time he likes just by uttering a single word just so that you can figure out how they make their brooms fly!" shouted M as an expression of a mixture of panic, fear and anger crossed her face

James had never seen a look like that from her the entire time he had known her. She was clearly frightened and the very thought of sending her off alone was almost more than she could handle. James enthusiasm for his latest idea disappeared and was immediately replaced with one of concern and regret as he put his arms around her and pulled her into a tight protective embrace.

"M I would never send you into harm's way. It was a stupid idea" he said placing a light kiss on the top of her head.

"If you two are ready" interrupted Snape

"Yes. We are" replied James as he and M began to follow Snape back up to the castle "I wonder if Minerva has been able to find what she was looking for?"

While Severus was their guests a tour Minerva set about to basically ransack the files in an attempt to find any explanation for James and his ability to use a wand. This should have been a rather simple task, all she should have had to do was utter the words "ACCIO" and the paper should have appeared, but for some reason it was not working so she was left to the more irritating method of manually searching. As she was searching something kept nagging her about the name Severus had given her. Olivia Mansfield. Why that was name so familiar to her? Where had she heard it before? And then it all came back to her, and suddenly Severus odd behavior when he was near her began to make sense. The woman who was now called M had been there before, years earlier, brought there by none other than Severus himself. She had been badly injured and spent days in their infirmary being tended to by their mediwitch as Severus sat by her side. He had fallen for her then, so it was no great surprise that he would fall for her again. Minerva was about to give up her search when a small scrap of paper appeared with the name "Delacroix" scribbled across the top. Minerva paused for a moment and smiled at the memory of the beautiful young witch she remembered. Her name was Monique Delacroix. She had a lot of potential, but she fell in love with a Muggle and rejected her magic to live in the Muggle world. "I wonder? Could it be?" she thought a she continued reading. "Of course!" it was all beginning to make sense now. Attached to the scrap of paper was the invitation for one James Bond for admission to Hogwarts and a letter declining that invitation signed by his parents Andrew Bond and Monique Delacroix Bond.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6 Chapter 6

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Hope you enjoy. I promise you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter :)**

Snape, James and M made their way back up to the castle and not a moment too soon as M no longer had any feeling left in her hands and feet. James did his best to rub her hands to try to improve her circulation, but the attempt was made in vain as it was only causing her more pain. Snape, no longer able to stand seeing M in so much pain, quickly separated the two and held out his wand much to the horror of James and M.

"I know you didn't want me to do this, but it would appear that we no longer have a choice as you are now in a great deal of pain due to the cold" he said as he gently took her hands and mumbled the warming spell

M immediately began to feel a warm sensation throughout her entire body and the pain disappeared almost instantaneously.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" exclaimed James as he instinctively put a protective arm around M

"I have simply cast a harmless warming spell to ease her pain from the cold" replied Snape dryly as he turned and continued to walk toward Minerva's office

"Are you alright?" asked James in a panicked tone

"Yes, I think so" she replied "Let's go. We don't want to get lost now do we" she said as she headed off the same direction as Snape.

They arrived in Minerva's office to find her sitting with a rather smug smile across her face.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before I would find it" she said proudly as she held out the invitation and the letter from James' parents

"What's this?" asked James cautiously taking the letter

"I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation as to why you could use a wand and I was right" she said motioning to the letter

As James began to read the invitation a look of total confusion began to form across his face

"What is it James?" asked M

"I'm...I'm not sure" he said shaking his head "What exactly is this" he asked looking at Minerva

"It is your letter of admittance to Hogwarts that was sent to your parents many years ago" she replied

"But I don't recall ever being enrolled here" he said quite mystified

"That's because you weren't. Read the attached letter" she said

Snape stood in the corner of Minerva's office trying desperately not to stare at M while Minerva attempted to explain just what the letters meant.

"My dear boy" she started "Although you were accepted here as a student, it was you're parents decision to decline the invitation as you can see in the attached letter"

"But why?"

"Why don't you sit down and I will try to explain" she said motioning to the sofa

As James and M sat down, Minerva crossed the room and stood in front of an obviously uncomfortable Snape

"Why don't you use this time to do a little explaining of your own" she said under her breath

"I can't imagine what you're going on about" he said sharply

"You know exactly what I'm going on about" she snapped in a rather hushed tone "As long as we're disclosing the truth, there is one young lady or shall I say one woman in this room who should also know the truth"

"Minerva...Just let well enough alone" he said shifting uncomfortably

"Severus...You haven't been able to take your eyes off of her since you met her, which I am quite sure is a bit unnerving for her. The least you could do is tell her why. Look, I know this is painful for you, but after you lost Lily you were broken hearted and then She came along and for a short time you were happy again, you had a purpose and she was that purpose. She is here, alive and well because of you. She may not be able to return the love you felt for her so many years ago, but she may be able to give you some closure to that part of your life that has been so empty for so many years" she said quietly

"NO!...I won't do it" he said glaring at her with a pained look

"Is there something wrong?" asked the ever perceptive M as she glanced at the two professors

"Go on...Tell her..." prodded Minerva

"I...erm...well...I was wondering you would care to take a walk with me?...It appears that there is something I need to tell you or rather show you" replied Snape as he lowered his eyes just waiting for her to say no

"Well...I..." M started to say

"Don't worry , you couldn't be in safer hands. I can assure you that no harm will come to you while you are in the company of Professor Snape" said Minerva in an attempt to reassure her

"Well then I suppose..." she said quickly glancing at James

"Oh don't worry. Mr. Bond and I will be right here when you return"

"Alright then" replied M, sounding both nervous and intrigued as she stood and crossed the room to stand beside Snape

"This way Madam" said Snape motioning toward the door

As the two of them left James turned to Minerva with a suspicious look on his face

"Just where is he taking her?" he asked as his gaze wandered back to the now closed door

"Well believe it or not Mr. Bond...You are not the only one with a history here at Hogwarts" she said rather mysteriously

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7 Chapter 7

**I just had to keep going while I had the inspiration, and Yes Prosper, about the cliffhangers, I did learn from the best :)**

Snape and M walked in companionable silence thru the deserted halls of the castle as they made their to the large stone arch which led to the beautifully landscaped courtyard.

"This is extraordinary" said M as she looked around at the sculptures and stone archways surrounding them

"Yes, it is impressive I suppose" replied Snape quietly as he avoided her gaze

"If I may be so bold as to ask...What was it you wanted to tell or rather show me?" she asked curiously

"Why don't we sit down" replied Snape motioning to one of the stone benches in the Gazebo

M did as she was told and sat patiently waiting for what seemed like an eternity for Snape to speak. Severus, on the other hand, stood silently staring at the ground, pondering how best to explain what he had to say in a way in which she would understand and accept.

"Mr. Snape" said M quietly "Why don't you sit down. I promise I don't bite"

"Severus..." he said with a slight smile as he closed the distance between then and sat beside her as he continued to stare at the ground "Please call me Severus"

"Alright Severus. Now just what was it that you wanted to tell me?" she asked again tilting her head to the side so that she could see his face

"What do you think of the castle and the grounds?" he asked turning to face her

"I'm sorry?" she asked sounding a bit puzzled by his question

"I mean now that you've seen the place that, according to all of your intelligence, does not exist what do you think?"

"I think it's remarkable" she said looking around "I can't even begin to imagine how you have managed to keep it hidden...Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if...I mean...does none of it look the least bit familiar to you?" he asked searching her eyes for any sort of recognition

"Why?...Should it?" she asked curiously

"I'm sorry" he said as he stood and turned away from her

"Severus" she said quietly as she rose and stood beside him, resting her hand lightly on his arm "You asked me if any of this looks familiar. I can only assume you had a reason for asking and I would very much like to know what that reason was"

"I just thought that maybe..."

"Maybe what?" she interrupted

"Still the same" he chuckled

"The same as what?...I'm afraid I don't understand" she replied with a confused look

"Perhaps it would be easier to show you rather than tell you" he said putting his arm around her as he guided her back toward the castle

"Where are we going?" she asked nervously

"To the headmasters office. There is something I want you to see" he answered quietly

Back In Minerva's office James was battling his own confusion as he sat dumbfounded and listened to Minerva explain his mothers early life as a witch.

"So let me get this straight" he said shaking his head in disbelief "My Mother, Monique Delacroix was actually a witch"

"One of the most promising of her time" replied Minerva proudly

"And she gave it up to be with my Father"

"Yes"

"And my Father knew this?"

"Yes...he did"

"But how?...Why"

"Why what?" asked Minerva

"Why did she have to give it up? Why couldn't she be both?"

"She could have...She simply chose not to. Believe it or not Mr. Bond she is not the first Witch to choose to live in the Muggle world"

"And why is it that I was not allowed to attend this school?"

"Your parents wanted you to have what they called a "Normal" life in the Muggle world instead of being here and developing your gift" she said sounding a bit disappointed

"So then that makes me..."

"Exactly." she replied with a smile that he finally was beginning to understand

"So what do I do now?" he asked hesitantly

"Well it seems to me that you have two choices. You can either go back and resume your previous life as though nothing has happened or you could stay here...The choice is yours" she said bluntly

"But if I chose to stay here how would I keep in touch with my friends? and what about my duties as an Agent?"

"I'm afraid you would have to give up your profession. The Ministry of Magic will never condone the use of Magic in the Muggle world, and as for your friends I'm afraid you would most likely have to sever all ties to them as is would not be practical to announce that you have suddenly decided to become a Wizard"

"Would that include M?"

"I'm afraid so. Once she leaves here she will have no recollection of ever being here"

"You don't seem to understand. M has a memory like a steel trap. She never forgets a thing. She would know something is wrong if I were to suddenly disappear"

"That would not be a problem. We have a spell for that" replied Minerva "It worked on her before so there is no reason to believe that it would not work again"

"What do you mean it worked before?" asked James, suddenly concerned that he had allowed M to leave with Snape

"That I'm afraid is a very long story..." Minerva started to say before James interrupted

"Well it would appear that I have plenty of time if you could be so kind as to explain" replied James sharply

Severus and M made their way back thru the castle to the Headmasters office.

"Shouldn't we knock first" asked M hesitantly as Severus was about to open the door

"Professor Dumbledore is away on business at the moment" replied Severus as he motioned for her to enter.

M stood in the doorway with her mouth open as she looked around the room at the massive bookshelves that lined the towering walls and the large and rather ornate desk that sat before her.

"Impressive" she said as she continued to look around the room in amazement "Are you sure this is an office and not the library?"

Severus just smiled as he guided her over to a large stone bowl that was surrounded by mirrors

"What is that?"she said motioning to the bowl

"That is what we call a Pensieve"

"And just exactly what is a Pensieve?" she asked curiously

"It is a storage device for thoughts and memories" he explained as he reached into his pocket and produced a small glowing bottle of what appeared to be a liquid of some sort

"And what is that"

"This is a memory...Your memory to be exact" he said softly

"And just what do you intend to do with that?" she asked nervously

"With your permission...I intend to give it back to you" he said as he carefully opened the bottle and poured the contents into the stone bowl

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Chapter 8 Chapter 8

**I know another cliffhanger, Sorry but if I didn't the chapter would be just too darn long :)**

M just stared at the Pensieve as Severus poured in the liquid from the small glowing bottle half expecting it go up in a big puff of smoke.

"This looks like some incredible odd chemistry experiment" she said looking over his shoulder

"Not quite" he said quietly

"So what do we do now?...I mean what happens next?" she asked

"Well now I need you to trust me" he said moving aside and guiding her to the bowl "I need you to place your face in the water..."

"You want me to do what?" she said uneasily as she looked up at him

"I assure you this will not hurt" he said reassuringly

"Alright...so I put my face in the water...then what?"

"Open your eyes. You will be able to see the memory that was kept in the bottle"

"I'm not sure that..." she started to protest

"It will be a bit like watching a home movie" he explained as he put his arm around her "I promise that no harm will come to you" he said tenderly

"Alright" she said nervously as she gripped the sides of the bowl and lowered her face into the water.

When she opened her eyes she saw what amounted to a bunch of swirls that soon began to form a scene from her past. As she looked closer she could see herself on a mission, somewhere in Eastern Europe by the landscape, and she saw her former partner Maxwell, lying dead beside her. "He was a damn good agent" she thought "He took too many foolish risks which ultimately got him killed, but still he was good at his job." As she continued to watch the scene play out in front of her she noticed that she had been shot, several times in fact and she was in danger of being caught. She was trying desperately to escape, but due to her injuries all she could do was lay there and wait until she noticed a strange, tall man with dark hair and dark eyes approaching her. She attempted to throw something at him with not much success as she began to lose consciousness. She saw the man carefully inspect her injuries and then gently pick her up, cradling her in his arms as he mumbled a few words and then they were gone. The next scene was of her laying in a hospital bed in some sort of medieval looking hospital with the same man sitting beside her holding her hand. His face was pale, and he looked as though he had not slept for days. He continued to hold and caress her hand while she slept, and much to the annoyance of the staff, adamantly refused to leave her side for any reason. When she looked closer she discovered that the man in question was Severus. The next scenes were of Severus and her walking together around the grounds of the castle, holding hands and laughing. The next scene was of a small cabin and Severus playfully teasing her before pulling her close and kissing her passionately, a kiss which she returned with the same amount of enthusiasm and the last scene was of an argument and then suddenly...nothing.

M stood up with water dripping from her face and stared at Severus with a look of complete and total shock and something else he couldn't quite pin down.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly as he reached for her, only to have her pull back

"It was real" was all she could manage to say in a strained tone

"What was real?"

"I kept having these dreams and that's what I thought they were...just dreams, but it was real wasn't it"

"Yes" he replied quietly

"And it was you wasn't it?...It was you that rescued me on that day when Maxwell was killed.."

"Yes...I found you quite by accident and what else could I do but bring you here to safety. You had been badly injured, in fact, we didn't know for several days if you would survive and then by some miracle you began to recover" he said as he closed the distance between then and reached out to cup her cheek

"And you stayed by my side" she said quietly as she reached up to cover his had with hers

"I knew that you would be frightened if you were to suddenly wake and find yourself here" he said as he drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her

M clung to Severus as the memories came flooding back of that horrible day. She could now clearly remember Severus, or rather a younger version of him, helping her to recover here at Hogwarts and how happy she had been while she was here. It was all Severus could do to contain his joy at finally being able to hold her again as he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Is it still there?" she asked as she rested her head against his chest

"Is what still there?"

"The cabin...Our cabin"

"Yes" he said as he tilted her chin up to look into her beautiful clear blue eyes

"Could you take me there?"

"If you wish" he said lightly kissing her forehead

James was busy listening to an extremely similar story as told to him by Minerva

"So you see Mr. Bond...This is not M's first visit to Hogwarts" she concluded

"But if she's been here before then why doesn't she remember" he asked slightly agitated

"As I told you before, when she left it was necessary to use a spell to "Erase" for lack of a better word, her memory..."  
"But you just said that Professor Snape was going to give her back her memories..."

"It's a process similar to that of one of your fancy computer thingies, you know those flash points..."  
"You mean flash Drives?"  
"Yes...those things..."  
"You mean he's going to plug her into to some machine?" replied James in horror

"No...nothing like that. Our Storage device for Memories is simply a bowl of very special water called a Pensieve" she said with a slight laugh "I can show you if you like"

James, who by now was completely beside himself at the thought of M alone with Snape just happened to glance out the window in time to see Severus and M walking across the grounds, arm in arm on their way down to the lake.

"Where are they going? Where does that path lead?" he demanded in a not so polite tone

"That path leads down to the Black Lake" she replied as she looked over his shoulder

"How do I get there?" he demanded as he started heading toward the door

"Well you just follow the stairs down to the main foyer and then turn left and follow the hall to the courtyard and then follow the path..."

"Can't we just fly or apparate" he shouted hysterically as he turned back to face her

"Or I could just take you there myself' she said calmly "And No we cannot fly or apparate. I think the walk will do you some good"

The moment M saw the cabin it nearly took her breath away

"Oh Severus...It's just as remember" she said flashing him one of her all too rare brilliant smiles as she carefully peered in the window

"I often come here, although not as much as I would like, and think about the time we spent here" he said as he stood behind her pulling her back against him

"Severus" she said quietly and suddenly very serious "That was a long time ago, we were different people then"

"That may be, but it still doesn't change how I felt about you then or now" he said turning her around to face him

"Severus...I..." she started to say as he leaned down and kissed her firmly but gently

His kiss felt odd and yet strangely familiar as she wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss.

James marched along behind Minerva as they made their way to the cabin by the lake.

"I don't see what you are so worried about" snapped Minerva as she padded along the path "It isn't as if she is in any danger"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" said James in a rather angry tone as he pointed toward the cabin

When Minerva moved to stand next to James she could see thru the trees what had him so upset. There in front of the cabin stood Severus with his arms around M apparently engaged in a passionate kiss.

"Oh dear" was all she could say as James tore past her on his way to the cabin to "rescue" HIS M.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Chapter 9 Chapter 9

**Sorry this took a little longer than I had planned.**

"LET HER GO!" shouted James as he raced toward the cabin

Severus, somewhat startled by James quickly released M and stood in front of her as James continued his charge toward them.

"JAMES!...What the hell do you think you're doing?" shouted a none too pleased M as she peaked around Severus

"ME?...WHAT AM I DOING?...I could ask you the same question" he snapped when he finally reached them

"And none of your business would be my answer" she hissed as she stepped out from behind Severus

"I beg to differ Ma'am" he retorted angrily "If you recall...I am presently you're body guard, so whatever happens to you is MY Business"

M just glared at James with a rather outraged look as James angrily glared back at her.

"Now what seems to be the problem here?" asked Minerva as she finally reached the cabin

James, noticing that Minerva had brought along her wand, quickly snatched the wand out of her hand and pointed it at Severus

"What have you done to her?" he demanded "What spell have you cast on her?"

"JAMES ANDREW BOND!...put that down this instant" shouted M as she moved to stand in front of Severus "He hasn't cast any spell on me"

"The M I know would never fall for a ridiculous stunt like this, so he must have cast some sort of spell" replied James, narrowing his eyes as he glared at Severus

"James you're being childish now put that thing down before you hurt someone" said M calmly

"It's alright Olivia...I can protect myself from him as he has no idea how to properly use a wand" replied Severus as he stepped out from behind her with his wand raised slightly

"It's not you I'm worried about" she said keeping her gaze on James

"Oh I see...so he gets to call you by your real name does he...now I know he's cast a spell on you because you would never allow anyone to call you that under any circumstance"

"I demand that you give me back my wand at once!" demanded Minerva angrily

"Not until he releases her from whatever spell she is under" replied James

"Oh this is absurd...Expelliarmus..." said Severus as he pointed his wand at James causing Minerva's wand to fly out of his hand

"Accio" muttered Minerva as her wand came flying back into her hand "My dear man...if you ever attempt to take this wand again I will most decidedly hex you into the next millennium"

"Now let's all just please calm down" said M

"I will calm down when you are safely standing beside me" said James angrily

"And if I refuse?" replied M with an icy glare

"Don't start with me M...I've had a long day"

"And I suppose my day has been a walk in the park!"

"You know what I mean..."

"Suppose you explain it to me" she said dryly "You're not the only one who's had a day of surprises"

James thought about her statement for a moment.

"I suppose not..."

"Yes...I suppose not!"

"Why don't we all go back to the castle and we can sort this out in my office" said Minerva calmly

"Yes...I think that would be wise" said Severus as he put his arm around M and began guiding her back toward the castle with Minerva close behind.

"Are you coming James?" said M as she turned back to look at him

James just stood there with a rather pathetic look on his face staring back at her. He couldn't believe that she had taken their side over his.

"Severus...Would you mind waiting for me at the top of the hill?" said M quietly

"As you wish"

Once Severus and Minerva were on their way back up the path, M walked back to stand in front of James.

"James...What on earth has gotten into you?" she asked

"I'm supposed to be protecting you" he replied bluntly

"Well as you can clearly see...I don't happen to need protecting at the moment"

"A few hours ago you were terrified that I would send you off alone with him, and before I know it I find you kissing him ..."

"That was before I knew who he was" she interrupted

"And just who is he?"

"James...If I didn't know better I would say that you are jealous of him"

"Just who is he to you?" he asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders

"Someone I knew a long time ago" she replied quietly

"Look, I know the whole story, Minerva was kind enough to fill me in, but how do you know you can trust him? He sent you away before. How do you know he won't do it again?"

"I don't" she replied "But I would like to at least find out why he sent me away the first time if you don't mind, that is unless you already know the answer to that question?"

"No. Minerva didn't tell me that part"

"Well then let's go and find out shall we" she said tucking her hand in his arm and walking toward the castle.

The walk back seemed to take forever and is was only made more awkward by the total silence. Once they had reached Minerva's office James and M sat on the sofa while Minerva sat opposite them and Severus stood in the corner.

"Well it would appear that a few decisions must be made" said Minerva, looking directly at M and James

"And what decisions might those be?" asked James suspiciously

"You, Mr. Bond need to decide whether you wish to remain here and develop you skills as a Wizard or return to your life as a Muggle" she said flatly "And you M, or should I say Olivia, must decide whether you wish to remain here with Severus or return as well"

James and M sat on the sofa stunned that they were even being given an option to stay.

"I'm not going to tell you that your training will be easy Mr. Bond, because it most certainly will not, but it could be done" said Minerva

"What would happen if we decided to stay?... I mean how would our absence be explained?" asked M

"The explanations would be entirely up to you. We can't just erase you from everyone's memory" replied Minerva

"But if we decided to leave..." interrupted James

"Then of course we would have to remove all of your memories of Hogwarts"

"Like before" said M softly as she glanced at Severus

"Yes...Like before" replied Minerva

"Just out of curiosity...Why was I sent away before?" asked M

"Because...our Mediwitch discovered that you were pregnant while she was treating you" " replied Severus quietly as he looked away from her.

"You don't mean that my son Paul is your..."

"No...You were already pregnant when you arrived. I couldn't let the child grow up never knowing it's father. That's why I sent you back, otherwise I would have let you decide for yourself"

"So that's what the argument was about" replied M with a look of great sadness

"Perhaps we should leave you two alone to make your decision" said Minerva as she rose and motioned for Severus to follow her out of the office.

Once they had left James put his arm around M and pulled her close.

"You wouldn't really stay would you?"he asked

"Don't be ridicules" she replied resting her head on his shoulder "What would I tell my children? Sorry, but I've decided to go live with a Wizard in a castle in a place that does not technically exist? and besides who would keep you in line?"

"But what if I decided to stay?"

"Oh James...You wouldn't really stay would you?"

"Not without you" he replied as he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead

"You have to admit it is an amazing opportunity" she said rather matter of fact

"But it doesn't mean anything if you're not here, and I'm not about to share you with him" replied James suddenly very serious

"James..."

"No...I'm serious. I'm not sharing you with him" he said flatly

James defiant tone almost made M laugh

"Well then I guess that's settled, We're going home. I can't have you two pulling wands on each other every ten seconds now can I?" she said as she got up to go find Minerva and Severus

"Hey...come back here" said James as he quickly got up and caught her wrist pulling her back into a firm but gently kiss "I would fight for you any day" he said as he released her

"Yes...I believe you would. James I'm going to ask you to do something for me and I want you to promise not to get upset" she said in her best no-nonsense tone

"Anything for you"

"I want a chance to talk to Severus alone in order to say goodbye, could you do that for me?"

"If I have to" he replied, none too happy with her request

TO BE CONTINUED...


	10. Chapter 10 Chapter 10

**Sorry, I found a few glaring mistakes that I just had to fix. As usual I left this one so I could do another chapter at some point or perhaps a sequel, who knows. thanks to all who read and reviewed, it was greatly appreciated.**

With their decision made, James and M waited for Minerva and Severus to return. There was no real need for discussion as Minerva could tell from their determined expressions that their minds were made up, so all that was left was to arrange for their return home.

"Minerva, as much as the offer is appreciated, we...James and I have decided that it would be best if we returned to London" said M as she curiously glanced at Severus for any sort of reaction to the news

"I suspected as much" replied Minerva

Severus stood in the corner shifting uncomfortably as he listened to the news.

"I would like to speak to Severus alone before we leave if that's alright" she said quietly

"I assumed that you might. Why don't you two go for a walk and I will remain here and entertain Mr. Bond" she said nodding to Severus

"This way" said Severus in his usual monotone voice as he motioned toward the door

Severus and M walked in silence, him with his hands clasped behind his back and her staring at the floor as they made their way up the many staircases to the astronomy tower.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked quietly as she looked out over the grounds

"I wanted you to see the stunning view of the grounds before you left" he replied dryly

"That isn't what I mean and you know it. It wasn't really necessary to bring me back here to find out why James could use a wand. You could have just as easily done that without me, for that matter, it wasn't really necessary to bring either one of us here. You could have just apparated away..."

" Once I recognized you, I needed to know" he said as he turned to face her

"You needed to know what?"

" If you still cared for me as I still care for you"

"Severus, that would have been nearly impossible to determine as I had no memory of ever being here" she replied slightly puzzled by his comment

"It really doesn't matter now. I have my answer, which is why you must now go" he said with a hint of sadness

"What do you mean you have your answer? I haven't given you one yet, and what do you mean I MUST go? I thought It was my decision"

"A verbal answer isn't really necessary, and as far as it being your decision, that would have been misleading to let you believe that"

"Look...It isn't that I don't want to stay, and just what do you mean a verbal answer isn't really necessary?" she replied slightly annoyed

"I know now that you did and do care for me, but I also know that your heart belongs to another, and you would never be truly happy here which is why you must go back" he said reaching out to cup her cheek

"Couldn't we find a way to not "erase" my memories this time?" she asked stepping closer as she leaned into his touch

"That my dear would not be a practical solution" he replied as he gathered her to him "Although I am aware that you profession is all about keeping secrets, It would be best for everyone if you only had to keep one set of secrets, don't you agree?" he said lightly kissing her forehead

"And what about James?...I assume you will need to "erase" his memories as well" she said, resting her head against his chest

"Yes...It would be rather unfair to send him out on one of your "missions" and have him draw a wand instead of a gun against his opponent" he replied half laughing and half serious

"Well...I suppose you're right, although it would make things easier sometimes" she said with a light laugh as she looked up at him

"I shall never regret bringing you back here even if it was for an all too brief amount of time" he said resting his forehead against hers

"I suppose we should get back to James and Minerva" she said quietly

"Yes" was all he could say as he leaned down and gently kissed her before releasing her

Minerva had managed to keep James occupied with stories of his mother while they waited for Severus and M to return.

"You don't think he will try to change her mind do you?" asked James with a somewhat worried look

"No. Severus may be many things but selfish he is not. He realizes that there are too many variables in this decision that would prevent him from trying to change her mind"

"What do you mean variables?"

"Well..her children for instance. He would never ask her to leave them behind and then there are her responsibilities at MI6 and then, of course, there is you" she said rather matter of fact

"What about me?"

"My dear boy, don't be daft. Surly you know how she feels about you and if I had to guess you feel the same way about her, it's just that you are both too stubborn to admit you feelings, especially to one another" she said bluntly

"She is my Boss and my friend" he said defensively

"You can say that all you like, you may even believe it, but to those around you it is more than just a professional relationship"

James was a bit stunned by Minerva's observation, after all she had only know them for a few short hours, and he was about to respond when Severus and M returned.

"Are you ready to go" asked M quietly

"Yes...I suppose" he said as he rose to stand beside her

"I assume we will be apparating" said Minerva as she cast a glance at Severus

"Yes...Just as we did before" he replied as he took M's small hand in his

"Then we will see you there" said Minerva as she held out her hand to James

Just as before, in the blink of an eye James and Minerva vanished.

"I still can't get used to that" quipped M, a little less terrified than the last time

Severus turned to look down at her for one last time before leaning in and kissing her one final time

"Fortunately, you never will" he said as he put his arm around her as they disappeared.

When safely arrived back in M's office Severus asked M to stand beside James as he muttered the words "obliviate" but he also muttered something else in a tone just above a whisper.

"Severus...what are you doing?" asked Minerva

"Just giving them a nudge" he said as he repositioned them so that they were facing each other with their arms around each other in a tender embrace.

"Why on earth would you do that? We are Witches and Wizards, not matchmakers!" she said sharply

"Because it is about time that they listen to their hearts, and there is no reason why at least one of us shouldn't be happy" he said dryly as he leaned down and kissed M on the cheek

"You read her thoughts again didn't you?"

"Just enough to reveal who she truly loves" he said quietly

"I see that you have brought along his mother's wand" said Severus with a disapproving look

"I thought he should have it. I have taken the precaution of disabling it though so there won't be any accidents" she replied as she put the wand on the desk

"Shall we?" he said holding out his hand, and in the blink of an eye they were gone.

There was no way to tell how long James and M stood there before the stunning spell had worn off, but it was safe to say that when it did they were a bit surprised at how they were standing.

"James...what do you think you're doing" asked M as she stared up at James

"I have no idea" replied James as he looked down into her incredibly blue eyes

"This is highly inappropriate you know" she said with a faint hint of a smile

"I know, but for some reason it just seems right" he replied as he leaned down and kissed her, and much to his surprise she returned the kiss.

"James" said M as she pulled away from him slightly "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Looking at you" he said with a grin

"No...I mean from this morning"

"Let me think...I remember you summoning me to you office for some sort of problem...Why?"

"What problem?"

"You know...I don't remember" he said sounding rather perplexed

"And what time was that?"

"I don't know about 8:00 am or so...why?"

"Because it is now nearly 7:00 pm...What did we do all day? and don't tell me we've been standing here locked in this embrace or I'll drop you where you stand" she said nervously

"Maybe we are both suffering from some sort of temporary amnesia" he replied as he brushed his fingers across her cheek before he pulled her back into a protective embrace

"I don't think so" she said softly as she looked at the wand on her desk

"What is that?"

"It appears to be a stick" she said moving to pick it up "And there is a note addressed to you"

James took the stick and the note which read "This very special "Stick" belonged to your mother, Treasure it always...M. "

"Why would you give me a stick that supposedly belonged to my mother?" he asked, turning to face her

"I didn't" replied M with a confused look

"I think I could do with a drink...How about you?"

"I think that is a wonderful idea" she replied as she followed him to her liquor cabinet

"Well what ever happened to us today couldn't have been all bad" he said as he handed her drink to her

"Oh...and why do you say that?" she said as she quickly downed the scotch

"Because, however we spent the day, I got to spend it with you" he said with a grin as he took her glass and pulled her into another long, deep kiss.

"James" she said breathlessly "What's gotten into you?"

"I have no idea, but whatever it is... I like it"

"So do I" she replied with a smile "We should have temporary amnesia or whatever you want to call it more often"

"Do you still think that this is inappropriate?" he asked

"No...for some reason I think this is how it is supposed to be" she said


End file.
